Call of the Sea
by Rabid Chibi Squirrels Inc
Summary: 1st ever PotC story! Jack and Will set out to retrieve Davey Jones' heart, along with a young lass by the name of Marina Blackheart. WillElizabeth, JackOC, onesided DaveyOC later. Chapter 4 up!
1. Another Captain?

**First bloody PotC fanfic I've ever made. Not likely to be the last, though, sure enough, I've already got me hands full of ideas just ready to burst forth from me noggin, savvy?**

**Kitsune Takaya holds no possession of any PotC characters, She does, however, bear all rights and copyrights to a character of her own (no, not Kitsune herself, a different character).**

**The Call of the Sea**

**Chapter 1: Another Captain?**

The young woman swayed back and forth as she looked up from her bottle of rum to gaze out at the open ocean. She knew it wouldn't do good to stand in such a tiny boat, but the way her luck was going, it didn't matter. She tore her gaze away from the sunlit horizon to rest at the water quickly rushing up to her leatherbound feet. She grimaced as she began to walk a few feet, reaching down and grabbing a bucket, with which she used to throw the water threatening her old boots out of the pathetic excuse of a boat. It was really only a couple boards put together, in her opinion.

She put the rum bottle down for just a second, so that she could use both arms to scoot the salty liquid out of the boat and back into the ocean where it may have belonged. It wasn't doing very good, though. The water was alreayd soaking up to her knees, and staining her grey coat and her brown trousers, which her mother had thought looked absolutely ridiculous for a woman. Men's clothing! Really! But these had been her father's clothes, and she honored her late father.

Her poor mother was a noblewoman, completely unused to the life of a "bloody pirate". In fact, her mother absolutely hated pirates, and was astonished to find that she had given birth to the child of one.

Pirate was in her blood, thanks to her father, and she thanked him for it. She much rather wear his coomfortable clothes, than those of her mother's. How on Earth was she supposed to wear such hideous clothes! She couldn't even breathe in a corset! She shivered at the thought. Horrid thing, it was.

And now, she was standing on the tiny boat, although it was completely submerged, except for the mast, and was waist deep in the water. She sighed. This wouldn't do. Not at all.

She glanced to her back, to find that her rum was not there.

"Oh, bugger," she muttered, looking about her. She found it floating several feet away, adrift on the waves. On the horizon, was land, various shapes of buildings and trees finally coming into view.

"Not without my rum!" she exclaimed, then dived fully into the water, paddling in the direction of her precious rum.

-

The man in charge at the docks looked up from his book, dropped his gaze, then quickly did a double-take. Someone climbed out from the water and onto the dock. He quickly approached, his "finely dressed" slave tagging alongside him. The figure stood up, brushing aside the fact they'd just clambored out of the sea, soaking wet, and rung out their long brown hair, done in dreadlocks, and the front covered with a red bandana. To his surprise, it was a woman. And she didn't seem to dress like one; leather boots, brown trousers, white shirt with baggy sleeves, and many small coins, beads, and trinkets hanging off her dreadlocks. She also had some kind of a leather belt strapped to hold a saber and upholstery for a pistol. She had a bottle of rum in her hand, drank the rest of the contents, glanced back, and picked up a triangular shaped hat, putting it securely onto her head.

"By God," the man said, "Didn't you come here on a boat?"

The woman looked at him, brown eyes clouded. She pointed to the ocean behind her, then when he nodded, turned back and looked.

"Uh, well," she said, an accent to her voice, "I did come on one, but it sort of got left behind, about a mile back, back there. Just took a dive to Davey Jones' locker, if you get me." She winked, and tried to pass.

"I shall need to know your name, ma'am," the dock man said. The small black boy gazed up at the woman with wide black eyes, tugging at his hat a little.

The woman reached into a small pouch on the side of her belt, taking out three coins, and putting them into his hands. "What do you say . . . three shillings and we forget the name?" she asked. The man looked at her a second before smiling.

"Welcome to Port Royal, Miss Becca." He strode, triumphantly away. The woman strode a bit drunkenly up the dock, quickly snatching a tiny pouch full of coins, then walking away. She smiled to herself.

"Now, where next?" she asked herself, walking around town. She got strange glances shot at her by the townsfolk, and shot them strange glances back. She walked up to one building. A sign hung up outside, reading: 'Plum's Tavern'.

She smiled, walking inside, and sitting down at the bar. "A bottle of rum, if you would be so kind," she told the bartender, who nodded, getting to work. She glanced around the small tavern. There were a couple people talking in one corner, some people whispering things to each other and casting her glances, there were a couple men casting her even more glances, and then there was a pair of men in the back, talking to themselves, and seeming not to notice the newcomer.

She sat there, drinking the spiced rum, and sighing in satifaction as she felt it stir in her stomach. She suddenly felt a hand on her hip and the scent of alcohol and warmth breath on her neck.

"Aren't you a pretty little thing?" asked a random drunkard, "Why don't ya come back to my table and we can 'ave some fun, eh?"

"I advise you not to touch me, lest you feel the need to die an early death, savvy?" she asked, but he didn't listen, and continued to touch her. Suddenly, the turned, drawing her sword and pushing him away from her, and pointed the object at him. She'd pushed him to roughly that he'd fallen back into the table behind, completely snapping it in half, and falling on his arse. This caused everyone to look at the pair, silence filling the room.

The girl looked up, pointing her sword around the room. "Do any of you other gents want to fool around with me? I'm here on important business, and I'm not here to prance around with no purpose, savvy? So, unless you'd all like to have your innards stripped from you and let me leave you for dead in the salty depths and be send to Davey Jones' locker, then I suggest you leave me alone."

Putting the sword away, she sat down and continued on with her rum. From the corner, she heard, "Spunky little thing, eh? I like 'er."

"Oh, come now, Jack," said another man, "She'd probably only be another to deliver a slap, to which you might respond, 'Don't think I deserved that,'." The man laughed slightly. "Although, I do find it funny. She does look an awful lot like you. Same hair, same way of dress, heck, she even drinks rum like you do!"

To think, the girl looked up, turning her head to the back corner, where the two men were conversing.

"Really?" came a reply, and a man who, indeed, looked very much like her, glanced out from the table, at her. He the only real difference between them would probably be that he was a man, she was a woman, and he had a beard and a more weathered appearance about him.

_'Not bad looking, that's for sure,'_ the girl thought. Before she could turn back to her rum, she heard a "Psst!" sound. She glanced up at the table in the back, watching as the man with dreadlocks "PSSST!" again, and began to frantically wave her over. Quirking an eyebrow, she stood slowly, and started to walk to the table. Realization hit her and she ran back to the table she had been sitting at, grabbing her rum and putting a defensive look on her face as she glared at the man, who had been sitting next to her, who had tried to grab the rest of her drink.

She quickly walked over to that table and stood before it, looking at its occupants. She noted the first man, with the dreadlocks and looks much like her own, and then the other man, who was dressed a little more classy (though not enough to be deemed a true nobleman) and has brown hair that reached his shoulder, though tied back in a ponytail. The man with dreadlocks was drinking a mug of what smelled like spiced rum. Hm. How curious.

"State your business with me," the woman said.

"State your name, missy," the dreadlocked man said, leaning back into the chair and grasping the handle of his mug of rum.

"State yours, first," the woman replied.

"Ladies first," the man retorted. The woman growled slightly.

"Becca," she lied, "Becca Windtaft."

The man sighed. "State your _real_ name, if you would,"

She sighed, angrily. "Marina Blackheart. And you would be?"

The man stood, taking her hand in a gentlemanlike gesture, with his other, he removed his hat. "Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow." He bent down and kissed her hand.

"Pleasure," she said, bluntly, then turned to the other man. "And you are?"

"William Turner," he said. Marina nodded.

"What be yer business with me, _Captain_?" she asked, turning back to Jack.

Jack sat down. "Nothing wrong with a friendly chat, eh? Have a seat, pull up a chair, lass. Let's talk."

Marina sat. "About what?"

"Just a few questions. For instance, why do you look like me?"

"Why do you look like me?"

"Don't answer my question with a question. And certainly not the same one!" Jack snapped.

"Nothing wrong with that question, for it was one of my own, and, as such, should be noted first, after all, that is what you said, was it not, Captain?"

Jack seemed a bit flustered. "Was . . . what not?"

"What you said."

"What. Did I say?"

"Ladies first, I believe,"

Jack stared at her for a second before laughing softly and saying, "Ah, yes. I did say that, didn't I?"

"So, why do you look like me?" Marina smirked softly, awaiting his reaction.

"Well . . ." Jack started, then trailed off, "I . . . . don't know." Will chuckled slightly, obviously amused by the 'Baffled Captain Jack Sparrow' this Marina girl had reduced him to. This was a rare thing Will had ever seen.

Jack recovered, and asked, "Where did you come from and where are you headed?"

"Well, my mother was a noblewoman from Port Royal. My father was a pirate. They had me, Mother died, Father raised me to be a pirate, and that's basically all you need to know," Marina told them. "As for where I'm headed, my ship is moored in Tortuga, but I need a way back, so I'm going to commandeer one from here and continue on my merry little way to the open seas."

"_Your_ ship?" Will asked.

"Yes, my ship. Mine. I'm captain. Marina Blackheart, Captain of the White Raven." Marina announced it with a confident air. Jack looked at her.

"I thought your name was familiar," he said, "Captain Marina Blackheart of the White Raven. A worthy title for a worthy pirate. And why are you so torn from your ship, Captain?"

"If you must know, my crew and I were docking in Tortuga for a night or two. I went to the local tavern for a drink, but I was kidnapped and brought aboard a merchant ship. I was to be brought to the King's Navy at once and hanged for my piracy and other 'trecherous' acts against the crown. I narrowly escaped and found myself stuck on this stupid spit of land not worthy enough to be called an island, and, uh, 'commandeered' a ship from the local, uh, witch."

"Tia Dalma?"

"No, just some random wench trying to get off the island herself. Course, she'll be mad at me if I return, seeing as her boat is somewhere off the coast of Port Royal, but, hey, who said I'd ever return?" Marina shrugged, taking a swig of her drink.

"Well, my boat is moored somewhere around the back of the island. And seeing as I am going to Tortuga, I could lend you a ride," Jack said.

"Thank you. You're too kind," Marina said.

"You do realise that the King's Navy resides here in Port Royal, don't you? And that if they catch you, you with be send to the gallows?" Will said. Immediately, Marina's face dropped into a frown.

"Bugger," she muttered.

"I, myself, am a fugitive from the law, so I think it best we leave . . ." Jack started, but then a couple of the King's soldiers marched past the window. He and Marina immediately ducked, until they passed, and Jack finished, "Now."

And so they made their way to the back of the island, dodging the soldiers that patrolled the island. There, sitting in the waters of the high tide, was a massive ship with white sails. Marina turned to Jack, confused.

"I thought you were Captain of the Black Pearl?" she asked.

"Ah, yes," Jack said, sadly. "Sadly, she was taken from me by Davey Jones's beasty, the Kraken. But, I managed to escape, somehow."

"Ahoy! Jack!" called a man from the deck of the ship. "Where have ye been? We were about to set sail!"

"You were never a good liar, Gibbs," Jack said, as the three climbed aboard.

"Who is this, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked. Mr. Cotton's parrot whistled, causing the female pirate to blush.

Jack put an arm around Marina's shoulders. "This, mates, is Captain of the White Raven, Marina Blackfoot."

"Blackheart," Marina corrected.

"Right."

"And what be yer business here, Mrs. Blackheart?" Gibbs asked.

"My ship is docked in Tortuga and I am without a ride," Marina told them, "Your generous captain has offered me a ride to Tortuga so that I may spare myself the trouble of commandeering a ship from here and possibly getting myself caught from the King's Navy."

"Aye," Gibbs said, nodding his head with one eye squinted. "Welcome aboard."

"As Captain of the White Raven, she is to be given as much respect as you give to me," Jack announced. "Now, hoist anchor! We sail for Tortuga!" Jack climbed the steps to the upper deck and took out his compass, watching it as it spun about before pointing to the open ocean. Glancing at his left hand and the Black Spot reluctantly, he commanded the crew head out to sea.

Will climbed up to where Jack stood, watching as he continued to set sail for the waters that would lead them towards Tortuga. "I thought we were to find the heart of Davey Jones," Will said.

"Well, mate, you thought right, which is why we're headed to Tortuga. I got word that our old friends Norrington and Beckett are also docked in Tortuga, waiting for ol' Fishface and his crew of sea skunks to give in and give Beckett control of the seas," Jack told him.

"So you want to take it from them?" Will said. Jack closed his compass with a _snap_, looking at Will. His mouth hung open about a centimeter or two, in thought, then slowly crept into an infamous Captain Jack smile.

"Aye, mate," Jack said, patting him on the back, "You're not too shabby, getting along great as a pirate. That's great, just don't touch my rum." Jack soon departed, walking offdeck, to his cabin, where he closed the door, and shut himself inside. Will shook his head, looking at the pirate, then cast his gaze to Captain Blackheart, who was gazing out to the open ocean. He walked down and stood next to her, looking out to the ocean as well.

"Ready?" he asked. Marina nodded.

"Aye, I've been waiting a little too long," she said. "It's time I paid my crew a little visit."

**There you go! What will happen when Marina goes to find her ship? What choice is she going to be split between? And is Jack having some second thoughts on her choice? What the heck am I talking about? Read the next chapter to find out, but before that, I want 5 REVIEWS for me to update, savvy?**


	2. Unsettling Surprises

_**Ah, 'ello loves, Kitsune 'ere again. Thank you so much, my lovely reviewers! I've gotten my 5 reviews, and I am working on the next installment, although, I shouldn't say that, because when I publish this I won't be working on it anymore. Oh well! Now, on to the reviews!!**_

**_To Galasriniel, I'm sorry, but I cannot count your review as five. It's just not technical math, 1 does not equal 5, hoever, 5 + 1 equals fish. There you go. I believe I'm inclined to acquiesce to your request, so I will honor that. Here is the new chapter, savvy?_**

_**To Moony, I agree, Davey needs some love, but this is somewhat different from things I've written before. I needed a different idea for this, so I thought of a plotline for Davey's love for Marina (which is the surprise one-sided DaveyOC pairing).**_

**_To galita, I whole-heartedly agree. I haven't seen too many DMC fics, but that's probably because the movie just came out. I haven't checked out many PotC fics, meself, but those I have seen were good. I'm particularly fond of ones about Jack's 'last moments' with the Kraken, or about the Kraken, because I love Squids, but not to eat. I don't like much seafood. Just shrimp'll do. :D_**

**_To unprettyprincess, thank you very much for taking the time to review and compliment the story. I hope you find it to your liking. Please also check out my other PotC fic, if you haven't done so already. Thank you very much._**

**_To Phantom's Bride, does your name refer to the Phantom of the Opera? The newer version? I liked that one, and I have the soundtrack. Very good. Also, I am updating, so I hope you like!_**

_**On a note, I made a mistake on the first chapter that I may wish to fix, but I'm too lazy to do it, so I'll leave it. When Gibbs met Marina, he asked her, **"And what be yer business here, Mrs. Blackheart?"** The Mrs. should be Miss. Marina is not married. Oh well, you get it, right?**_

_**For reviews, it's the same. 5 reviews gets an update! Okay? Unless, if I'm in a generous mood, I may settle for 3, but it depends on if your reviews are more constructive than last time. Okay? 25 '**Cool, I liked it**'s is worth 1 constructive review.**_

_**And with that, I give you, Chapter 2 of Call of the Sea! Enjoy, me hearties!**_

-

**Call of the Sea**

**Chapter 2: Unsettling Surprises**

-

The boat rocked on the waves as it ploughed through the choppy waters of the Caribbean. The sky was grey and unsettling. The sea churned and writhed. It looked as though a storm would soon approach. It was very dangerous to be in the presence of the rough seas during a storm. Things tended to happen that should never happen.

Marina sat on her hammock in spare room on the ship. She was . . . completely alone. None of the crew shared quarters with her, not even the Captain, himself. But that was how it should be. Men and women should stay in separate rooms, if not properly acquainted.

She netted her fingers together, resting her chin atop them as she hunched over in thought. Whenever she got to Tortuga, she'd search for her ship, and explain to her crew as to what happened over the unfortunate days she'd been away. Ah, yes. That she would do.

And yet . . .

It wasn't so bad here, either. The crew was friendly to her, so was the Captain, er . . . well, maybe he just ignored her. She sighed. Jack Sparrow. She'd actually met the infamous Jack Sparrow.

She smiled faintly, recalling every one of the adventures her father had told her of Jack Sparrow, before his untimely death. How Jack had come to acquire the Black Pearl, and how he'd been marooned on the small island.

She frowned. And then her father had died in a tragic accident at sea. That was when she'd decided to pick up a crew and become a true pirate. It was time she continued her father's legacy.

And now?

Jack was shipless, more-or-less. No more Black Pearl. The ship she'd so desperately wished to see. Gone.

Another thought lingered on her mind. If Jack had supposedly gone down with his ship, how was he alive and well now?

A sharp knock on the door. Marina snapped out of her thoughts as her head snapped up, making something crack at the back of her neck. She went to the door. Gibbs stood outside.

"Yes, Mr. Gibbs?"

"The Cap'n wishes to speak with ye," he said, one eye slightly squinted, and a rusty smile on his face.

Marina quirked and eyebrow.

"Over dinner," Gibbs finished, laughed, and walked away, taking a swig of liquor from his trusty little bottle.

The door closed, and both of Marina's eyebrows shot up. Jack wanted to talk. Over dinner? Was she supposed to interpret this as a sign of, oh, say, attraction?

She shook her head, sternly. No. No one would do something . . . so quickly. No, he probably wanted to talk about matters that . . .

On second, thought, curiosity overtook her, What did Jack want to talk about?

Putting on her scabbard, and upholstery, she donned hat and strode out of her temporary quarters, towards the Captain's quarters. She knocked briskly. There was a _bang_ followed by a sharp cry of pain, and a "Bugger!" Marina held back a laugh, looking away a bit. She listened. Bottles and papers and other assorted items were heard being moved about, accompanied by random mutters and such.

Boots thumped against the wood, striding towards the door. Keys, he was fumbling with keys, jamming it into the lock, and opening the door.

There stood Captain Jack Sparrow, a red tinge in his cheeks and rum on his breath. "Eh? Oh," he put on a smile, "It's ye, Miss Blackheart. Come in, come in, I was just, eh, doing a bit of cleaning up. Can't live in a pig-stie, can we?"

Marina nodded, walking briskly into the room. She surveyed her surroundings briefly, before turning at the sound of a lock. Jack had locked the door. He looked at her, then realised she was looking at him, then quickly put on an innocent smile. "Just a bit of protection."

Marina raised an eyebrow, dismissed it, and walked further into the room. She took a few steps, and heard a few more being taken, behind her. She glanced at Jack, who'd moved when she did, then stopped when she did. He seemed a bit . . . jumpy tonight . . .

"Jack, are ye, perhaps, drunk?"

"Eh, what?" Jack looked at her, then shook his head, "No, I've just had a bit to drink. I'm, eh . . . perfectly fine."

"Whatever ye say, mate," Marina shrugged. Jack gestured to a seat at table, loaded with various foods and drinks. "Have a seat, will ye?"

Marina nodded, taking a seat at one end of the table, while Jack sat at the other end. They stared at each other awhile, before Jack got irritated. "Well, eat, it's not poisoned."

Marina seemed to snap out of her little trance, and picked up a piece of food similar-looking to a chicken leg. She ate with small bites, which, she noticed, Jack took full notice of. Or was he staring at her mouth for _another_ reason? He suddenly looked into her eyes, smiled, and took a swig of his drink.

He leaned forward a bit. "So, Captain Blackheart," he said, putting a bit of emphasis on her name.

"Jack, please, call me by my first name," Marina said, "It wouldn't kill ye, would it?"

"No, no, perhaps not, _Marina_," He took another swig of his drink, "I'd fancy to know what ye'd be planning to do once yon ship has been reclaimed."

"What I plan to do?" the lady pirate repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you plan to stay or not, to be blunt." Jack looked at her with a bit of a dull expression.

"Stay? Why stay, Captain Sparrow? I have a ship to run, and we are neither allies, nor enemies, more of rivals of piracy, wouldn't you say?" Marina leaned back in the chair. However, she frowned, upon noticing the sudden soberness of the captain. He'd begun to stare intently into the remainder of his drink, a frown fixed upon his face.

He swished the contents of his drink around in the bottle. "So . . . which way would ye be headed once yer gone?" he said, somberly.

Marina knit her eyebrows together. "Jack, I have no mean to offend you," she said, "It's an honor to meet you, truly it is. But I am a pirate, a captain of a ship, same as you, and--"

"Captain?" Jack put on a whistful smile, still staring down at his drink. He frowned and looked to the side. "I am no Captain. I have no ship."

Marina stayed silent as she listened, wonder shining in her brown eyes.

"The pearl is gone," Jack said, strongly, looking up and away, towards the back of the room, "Davey's beastie saw to that, no doubt. What ship have I to Captain, Miss Blackheart?"

Marina leaned forward, "Jack, you've a crew, loyal and true to your every word. And I believe you'll find a way." She slowly glanced down him, stopping to rest on the filthy handkerchief that bound his right palm. She gazed at it in curiousity.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to his hand.

Jack snapped his head up to look at her. "Huh, what?" He glanced at his bound hand, then quickly tucked it away. "Oh, it's nothing, just cut meself when fumbling with me sword is all. Nothing to be worried 'bout, Miss Blackheart." However, his smile was false, almost saying, _"I'm telling a big, fat lie, Miss Blackheart, and I wish I could tell you exactly what happened to me hand, but I don't want to risk your endangerment."_

Marina mentally quirked an eyebrow. He was definately hiding something from her. However, she shrugged it off and they continued with their meal.

Jack opened his mouth to speak again when they were done. "Miss Blackheart--"

"Marina," the lady pirate corrected. Jack nodded.

"Marina," he said, softly, "I--"

A knock on the door interrupted his speech, and he growled in anger, going to answer. Gibbs appeared as Jack swung the door open with a force backed by irritation.

"What is it, Mr. Gibbs?!" Jack snapped.

Gibbs seeemed pale, and fidgity. He shuddered as he spoke in a low voice, "Captains, I think ye'd better take a gander at what we found off the starboard bow . . ."

Jack turned to Marina, curiosity evident in both of them. Marina nodded, getting up from the chair and following Jack, who followed Gibbs. As they approached starboard, Marina had a feeling in her gut that this would not be good. Her suspicions were, unfortunately, correct.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Broken pieces of a ship were scattered about in the water. Also, the bodies of men—pirates—floated on the surface of the water. Dead. The water was tinted red with blood. A rather large piece of wood floated up from the depths. On it, was the name of the unfortunate ship.

_White Raven._

Marina gasped, hands flying to her mouth. "My . . . my ship!! My crew!!" She glanced feverishly over to one sailor who was scrambling on a piece of wood, life still in him. Marina threw caution to the wind as she jumped overboard, ignoring Jack and the crew's pleas to come back, and swam to the injured man.

She reached him and turned him over. It was a young man with wild blonde hair. He coughed up seawater and sputtered, getting the nasty water out of his lungs.

"Vic!" Marina cried, "Vic, what happened?" The man, Vic, sputtered again, this time not only coughing up sea water, but blood as well.

"M-marina? Is'at you?" Vic asked, his eyes semi-glossed.

"Yes, Vic, it's me," Marina said, softly. She moved to help him, but he groaned in protest.

"No, don't, it's too late," Vic said, "We were attacked . . ."

"By who, Vic, who?"

" . . . Twas . . . the Kraken . . ."

Back on the ship, Jack stared at the pirate, a horrified frown appearing on his face. Will's face mirrored that of Jack's as he glanced at the Captain's expression. Jack suddenly became caught up in staring at the surface of the water near Marina and the other pirate.

"Um, Marina . . ." Jack said, after a moment.

Not hearing him, she continued to put her attention on the pirate.

"Marina, ye need to be careful . . ." Vic said, his voice dripping with dread, "Davey Jones . . . does not like to have what's his taken away . . ."

"Marina, I think you should get out of the water . . ." Jack continued to remind her, but the stubbornness of the woman was astounding.

Will turned to Jack. "This was not Davey Jones's work, Jack," he said, gravely soft. "It was Norrington's. Norrington wants all enemies dead, so he's trying to take out the top pirates who would likely rebel against him." He turned, slowly, back to the water, "And that included the White Raven."

Vic's grip on her arms was slowly loosening as he spoke his last words, "He'll keep coming, Marina . . . my Captain . . . my love . . ."

Both Jack's and Marina's eyes widened somewhat. Vic's eyes rolled back and his lids closed, his grip becoming limp and his head falling down. Marina nearly burst into tears, holding back the most of it. A couple tears escaped, rolling down her cheek.

"Vic?" She shook him. "Vic, wake up, please . . ." She sniffed. It was too late, and now she'd broke out into a sob, burying her head in Vic's wild hair.

"Marina!!" Jack called, diving into the water. Marina turned, watching as Jack swam towards her, calling, "Get away!!" Turning back, she noticed that something moved beneathe the water, brushing past her legs. Jack had now reached her, and pulled on her arm.

"C'mon, love, let's go," he said, sternly, his voice beginning to shake. Marina turned back to Vic's body.

"But--"

"WE HAVE TO GO!!" Jack bellowed, flinging his arm around her chest and dragging her with him, "THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME!! WE HAVE TO HURRY!!"

"BUT VIC!!!" Marina cried, glancing back. Jack continued to swim towards his nameless ship, as his crew and Will were lowering a rope ladder for them to climb back up on.

"FORGET HIM!!"

"I CAN'T!!" She reached out to Vic, "VIC!!" But his body was suddenly pulled underwater. It was not natural, either. He hadn't become so limp as to lose his grip on the piece of wood he'd been floating on. Something _dragged_ him beneathe the depths. And that was when Marina realised that something was still here.

Jack fought to keep both his and Marina's heads above the water, but as far as he swam, he didn't seem to be getting anywhere near the ship. He could feel the Kraken's presence—he sensed it was still here. And it was angry. Not only had he escaped, but he knew Norrington wanted _Marina_ dead, as well. He'd heard legends of the White Raven and it's cunning captain. Maybe she'd eluded the E.T.C. for too long, but she wouldn't stand a chance against a 60-foot-long (or maybe even more!) monster. A ship could only go so fast. Easy prey for Davey's grand beastie.

It was then that he noticed he was starting to sink, although he knew not why. As far as he could see, the ship was at least twenty feet away. With a final push, he flung Marina away from him, and she braced herself as she hit the side of the ship, grasping onto the rope ladder. But, she turned back, crying, "Jack!"

Finally, he felt something slimy grip his leg, and drag him underwater. He fought to get away, but it was useless. He felt the pressure of the water curshing against him. He'd drown if this kept up! What were his options?

A: Drown.

B: Get crushed to death by the water.

And, as it turned out, he had a third option, which he realised as he saw the great eyes and maw of the Kraken.

Option C: Get eaten. Again.

Air bubbles flew from his mouth as he struggled. So this was it, then. He'd eluded death one, two, maybe three times or more. But this would be the end. If the Kraken's teeth didn't see to it, then the Caribbean's waters would.

Above water, Marina pulled herself up a little, to see what was happening. However, the most she could see were the air bubbles spouting a little behind the spot where Jack had last been. She craned her neck to glance up at Will, Gibbs, Cotton, and Anamaria. "What's going on?" she shouted to them.

"It be the Kraken!" Gibbs shouted back, "Jack be doomed now, unless he manages another miraculous escape . . ."

Marina turned, focusing on the water. The air bubbles . . . suddenly stopped. Gasping with fright, she dove back into the water and swam down into the depths, ignoring the pleas of the rest of Jack's crew. The cold water stung her body; she hadn't let herself get used to it while she was in, and she'd been shivering slightly when Jack drew her back. Jack had possibly saved her, and now it was her turn to save him. If he had any time left . . .

She sighted his white shirt, recognized his face, his eyes closed as he drifted from unconsciousness into death's cold embrace. _Hang on, Jack!_ she cried in her mind, swimming towards him. It wasn't until she was up close to him that she saw a great big eye open behind Jack, recognizing the long, thick, dark tendrils that resembled an octopus's arms, waving in the underwater currents. Glancing down, she saw the ivory fangs of the mouth, and saw the water rushing into that mouth.

Frightened, she thrashed away, but, remembering her task, swam back to Jack and grabbing him under the arms. She took a close inspection of his face. It seemed green under the murky water, and his dreadlocks floated around his face like tentacles of the Kraken. Even near death, he was handsome.

Wasting no time, she kicked at the tentacle grasping Jack's foot, her oxygen supply quickly running out. It didn't seem to be working, and the more she stayed down here, the more of a chance they both had of perishing. The Kraken would get two victems for the price of one.

However, she grabbed Jack's sword, jabbing the blade into the Kraken's arm, making the water shake from the violence of the creature's supersonic, underwater screech. The tentacle let go, and for a moment, Marina and Jack were floating, carelessly, through the water. She saw him, saw the peaceful look on his face, and thought—no, _knew_—this was not his time.

She heard the screech of the Kraken again, and turned her head. She saw more of the creatures tentacles darting through the water, all closing in on them. Holding Jack close, she knew, she wouldn't make it. _Please, help us!_ she prayed.

Just when the creature was going to close in, Marina kicked her feet, sending a fast spurt of water jetting behind her, and proppelling her and jack upwards. The tentacles rammed into each other, getting themselves stuck before diving back at them. Marina continued to kick her legs, sending unnatural amounts of speed rocketing them through the water. And just then, they broke the surface, shooting up into the air a good ten feet.

The crew on the ship watched in amazement as both captains, Marina and Jack, were shooting out of the water, and almost flying through the air. They shot up like a rocket **(even though rockets didn't EXIST in those days, but, hey, it's just a comparison, right? Okay, I'll shut up.)** and five thick tentacles shot after them, bringing the Kraken's body dangerously near the surface of the water.

Just as Marina looked down, she saw those thick arms, lunging for her and Jack, ready to rip them to shreds before the crews very eyes. It hadn't even registered to her that she could take a breath. She prayed that they would survive, but deep in her heart, she knew.

_NOW_ it was their time . . .

No-one even realised that the storm clouds were gathering above their heads, swirling about dangerously. The water became choppy, even more so with the Kraken stirring underneathe their depths. The crew readied the ship, they had to leave now, now, NOW!

Marina closed her eyes, feeling gravity do its work and dragging her back down into the Kraken's embrace. It's mouth surfaced and revealed its pointed, ivory teeth, ready for the kill.

But, just as they were about to close on the two captains, the wind picked up. Not only that, it picked up the _water_ as well. A waterspout had formed, suddenly, taking both pirates with it. The Kraken dove down under the water, deep down, where it would be safe.

Meanwhile, the two pirates had once again broke the surface of the water as the waterspout tossed them both back into the Caribbean waters. The spout had disappeared, making the water it sucked up rain back down on the ocean. The grey clouds cleared, showing clear blue sky and radiant golden sun, making the waves and foam sparkle.

Will commanded the ship to sail closer to the spot where Marina and Jack had last been. Neither pirate had surfaced as of yet, and the entire crew waited with dread for news of their captain. Suddenly, the water churned in one particular spot, and Marina's head broke the water again, and she gasped for air, blinking the salt water from her eyes. She struggled to keep afloat, as she also brought up Jack Sparrow's head above the water, although he didn't seem to be breathing.

While she treaded water, she spotted the ship, calling to Will and Gibbs, "Get yer sorry behinds over here and get us out of here!" The crew scurried about, preparing the ship again. It began to sail closer to Marina, and she grabbing onto the ladder with the hand she thrashed about to help tread water. Her other hand was wrapped under Jack's arm and around his chest. She dragged the comatose captain with her as she used every muscle, sore as they were, to climb the flimsy rope ladder provided for her.

She finally flopped Jack's body over the side of the rail, making him crash onto the deck, before flipping over and sprawling out on top of him. She breathed heavily, and the crew gathered around her and Jack. Gibbs held a hand to his heart.

"By the Gods! That'd be the fourth time we've escaped the wrath of Davey Jones's beast," he said. Marina held up a hand as she sputtered and coughed up water from her lungs, trying to get them to pump air once more. Once she'd regained somewhat of a control of her breathing, she gasped and focused on Jack.

He was deathly pale, his lips slightly parted and his head hung limp to the side. Jumping to him, Marina put her hands on his chest, pressing down sharply to force water out of him. Nothing happened. She bent over, pinching his nose with her right hand and forcing his mouth open with the left as she breathed into him. She resumed pumping his chest up and down, and she suddenly became hysterical.

"Come on, Jack! Breathe!" she cried, "Jack! JACK, GOD DAMMIT! BREATHE!!" With a final thrust to his chest, Jack sputtered, coughing up way more water than Marina had. His body convulsed as he turned over to help force the water out. He got, shakily, to his knees, and looked around him when he was done. He caught the worried stares of his crew, before he was knocked down once more. A body had flung itself onto him, and, as he struggled to keep what consciousness he had left, he recognized the body as that of a woman's. Marina.

"You're alive!" she cried, sobbing into his chest. "Don't ever do that, ever again!!"

"What'd I do?" Jack slurred, not quite remembering exactly what had happened. The world around him slurred as Gibbs pulled Marina gently off of him.

"I think the Captain might like to rest now," Gibbs said, "We'll go to the nearest port and dock there. Will, will ye help me get Jack into his quarters? There's a bed in there that'll do nicely." And so Gibbs and Will helped carry Jack into his quarters, setting the pirate captain down on his bed, while his conscious drifted in and out. Later on, Marina came and sat next to him after Gibbs and Will had left.

"Are you okay?" she asked, softly. Jack's head fell limply to look at her, a lazy, exhausted look in his eyes.

"I'm fine, love, don't worry yer pretty head," Jack slurred. "A bit o'rest and I'll be in tip-top shape in no time . . ."

"You scared me back there," Marina said. She looked away. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have tried to go back for Vic. I knew he would die, but . . ."

"Just what is your relationship to Mr. Vic?" Jack asked, curiously. Outside, Gibbs, Will, and the rest of the crew listened in.

"Well," Marina looked down, "Vic's father was a close friend of my Dad's, and a fellow pirate. So the two of us became close friends. Eventually, when my Father passed away, I took it upon myself to continue in his footsteps. Vic's father was his first mate, and so Vic was mine." Her tone became quieter with each word. "We were close friends . . . I never knew he harbored those feelings for me . . ."

"Did you . . . feel the same about him?" Jack asked, on the brink of unconsciousness. Before he went out, he needed to know.

Marina shook her head, putting her hand on his. He was wrapped in extra blankets, but he was still cold and shivering. "No, I didn't. We were close friends, but I never felt anything but brotherly love towards him." She put her fingers inbetween his thumb and his palm, smiling somewhat when his hand closed on hers.

Jack sighed, somewhat relieved. Marina couldn't help but noticed this. Of course, being in the weakened state Jack was in, he couldn't hide much. Not that it mattered. He wouldn't have to worry about it until he woke up again. "That's a relief," Jack added on to the sigh.

"Hm?" Marina asked, her eyes shining with curiousity. But it didn't matter. Jack was finally out. Marina got up and walked solemnly out of the room, glaring at the crew as she passed them. She grabbed Gibbs by the shoulder. "You need to tell me about Jack." was all she said before she pulled him away from the crew. Gibbs sighed. He knew this would be coming.

"Jack didn't cut himself with his sword, did he?" Marina asked.

"It's not a cut, Miss Blackheart," Gibbs said, "It's . . ." He shuddered. "The Black Spot."

Marina's eyebrows quirked. "The 'Black Spot'?"

"Aye, you see, way back when, Jack got himself in a bit of a twist with ol' Davey Jones, and swore rights to his soul if he captained the Black pearl for 13 years. And Davey's been tryin' to catch up with 'im ever since his time ran out . . ." Gibbs explained. "Davey sent young William's father, 'Bootstrap' Bill Turner, to inform Jack of his debt, and he gave him the Black Spot."

"And what is the Black Spot?"

"It's the mark that means ye're being hunted by Davey Jones," Gibbs shuddered. He quickly got up. "It's best that I retire fer the evenin'. I'll be seeing you in the mornin'." With that, he left to his quarters. Marina stared after him a long time before retiring, herself, climbing into her bed and falling asleep.

All night long, she dreamed of Jack and the Kraken, but a mysterious figure haunted her dreams . . .

-

_**Wow. O.O That was a long chapter! YAY!! Now, please review! 5 more reviews get an update! Thanks to the people who reviewed, who were mentioned at the top of the page. -hands each of them cookies shaped like the Black Pearl or the Kraken with POTC written on them in icing-**_

**_Remember, 5 REVIEWS 1 UPDATE!!!_**

_**Ye savvy?**_


	3. The Phantom in her Dreams

_**Hello my reviewers!! Thanks so much for the new reviews, even if there are only 3 at the moment for chapter 2. I know I said that I'd wait for 5 reviews, but I'll cut you all some slack this time. However, the next update MUST BE IN 5 REVIEWS, okay? I will refuse to update this unless I get 5 more reviews. Savvy? Now, to answer your reviews:**_

_**To golfgoddess93, thanks for reviewing. I'm sorry, but I don't have hotmail, I have a yahoo account. I wouldn't know what a whitelist is. I apologize. Perhaps you can ask somebody who has a hotmail account, but I don't know anybody who does . . . do I? Hmmmm . . . (thinking) Aw, whatever, thanks for reviewing!**_

**_To FeatherGirl13, Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story! I don't really know how I thought of the escape from the Kraken . . . it just kinda came to me. I was like, "Oh, man, should I have the Kraken Attack? Yeah, that'd be good. But how will they escape? Wait! What if . . ." Sorry, I won't give away any secrets! But, have you read my other POTC fanfic, 'Ode to the Heartless'? And do you remember how in this fic I said one pairing would be a one-sided DaveyxOC? There's a tie to the two fics, sorta. You can try to guess, but I'm making it a surprise. ;-)_**

**_To Phantom's Bride, Thanks so much! You're the first reviewer to be a continuous reviewer for this fanfic, and for that, I give you Kudos, whatever those are. I think it mich be a health bar, but I'll give you Snickers instead:D I think they taste better!_**

_**Thank you to all my reviewers! This mught be a short chapter, but I will continue this fanfic for 5 REVIEWS NEXT TIME! On with the story!**_

-

**Call of the Sea**

**Chapter 3: The Phantom in Her Dreams**

-

_"Jack!" she cried. A giant tentacle reach up out of the sea, an unconscious Jack in its grasp. She cried and begged for it to release him; who would captain the ship? It wasn't her ship, she couldn't do it, could she?_

_"Please, let him go! Let him go!" she shrieked. Another tentacle rose out of the ocean, and another, and another, and then the Kraken's great bulk rose, glaring down at her. Large yellowy eyes bore down on her, and she stared, horrified._

_This was it, she would just let Jack die? And where were the crew? Had they abandoned ship long ago? She didn't even know._

_The silhouette of a person stood on the top of the Kraken. Marina couldn't make out any features, just a dark shadow amidst the dark sky and the fog drifting around. With a silent command, the figure ordered the Kraken to bring Jack closer to him. The tentacle holding Jack brought the pirate level with its master. Jack creaked an eye open, true and utter defeat showing on his face; failure. Jack had failed._

_In a rusty, seaworn voice, the figure asked, **"Do you feeeeelll death?"**_

_With a short nod of the head, Jack succumbed. Marina watched in horror as the strange figure laughed, horribly and maniacally, and the tentacle began to slowly drag Jack down to the depths._

_"No! Jack!" she called, reaching a hand out. Jack looked at her, that same failing look in his eyes, before slipping back into unconsciousness. The Kraken, the figure, and Jack, all slipped under the crashing, barbaric waves, and the storm the ship sailed under grew ever more fierce._

_"No, Jack, come back!!!" she cried. She dropped to her knees, and looked out over the ocean in defeat. Before she blanked out, she saw the silhouette of a ship._

_A ship with dark sails . . ._

Marina awoke with a start, sitting straight up in bed, and trembling in fear. She glanced warily around the room, shaking lightly. She reached over, grabbing a candle and lighting the oil lamp swinging above her head. The room filled with a dim orange light. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and glared down at her bare feet.

That dream was strange. She'd never had one like it. It . . . frightened her. What could it possibly mean?

Glancing around, she found her boots, tugging them on. She stood, walking to the door of her quarters and going out into the cool night air.

Marina walked to the edge of the ship, glancing out over the railing. The dark sea rolled out before her . . . the wind blowing through her hair . . . the smell of the salt in the ocean assaulting her nose . . .

She breathed in and let it out in a sigh. She just needed some air, and she would be fine. That's all.

But what had happened with the Kraken before? How had they escaped? She vaguely wondered how they'd both made it out with their lives.

Wait, it was coming to her. What had saved them was . . .

A waterspout?

She shook her head. Really. A waterspout saved them? _'Think logically, Marina!'_ she told herself, _'You're going nuts, now.'_

But . . . a waterspout _had_ saved them, hadn't it? Or was the entire crew and her just dreaming? If that was the case, the entire Kraken thing and her ship . . . was _that_ all a dream? No, too coincidental.

Thinking back to _before_ the Kraken incident, she thought of Jack. He really seemed disappointed when she said she had to leave with her own ship. Did he want her to stay with them? Did he _like_ her? But, no, he was just drunk. It was too early for such a relationship between them.

She sighed, the cool, night air whirling softly about her face. Why was she lying to herself? Jack was jittery, and he'd saved her, almost at the cost of his own life, and he was relieved when she didn't return the feelings Vic had for her. Weren't those all signs pointing to the fact that maybe they had something together?

Jack was handsome, he was brave, he was so many things. Could she admit to herself that she did, in fact, like him more than she let on? Sighing, she thought of many different things. No, their relationship couldn't be. Pirates like them didn't just go all lovey-dovey and suddenly elope in the middle of the ocean, then dock at some sandy island and skip, merrily, through the sand and get dead drunk until they eventually made love in the middle of the night and created a pirate son . . . Or did they?

Woah. Marina blinked. Where had _that_ come from? She shook her head. Get AWAY from those thoughts. Stay away.

On the subject of her dream, why had Jack looked so resigned to his death at the hands of the Kraken? Why had he not fought back? Who was that mysterious figure inquiring in Jack was, indeed, ready to die? Where these signs? Were they future events? Was she to interpret them?

Ugh. She groaned, placing her hands on the sides of her head and staring down at the ocean. Her head was pounding with so many questions. She wretched and threw up over the side of the ship. She did this two more times, shaking like a leaf.

"Not got yer sealegs back, have ye?" a voice asked. Marina turned, slowly, shakily, to see Captain Jack standing on the steps, above his cabin. A blanket was thrown about his shoulders.

"Captain Sparrow," Marina said, wiping spit from her mouth. "Ye shouldn't be up and about yet. Ye still should be lyin' down."

Jack shrugged. "Worse comes to worse, I'll faint an' have _you_ carrying me back to me cabin, savvy? Don't be tellin' Gibbs that I'm up."

Marina nodded and went back to staring out at the rolling sea.

"Ironic, isn't it?"

She turned back, questioning, "What is?"

"Yer a captain, and yet ye have no sealegs."

"I'l just tired, Captain Sparrow," Marina replied, "I'll feel much better when we dock." She turned back and muttered, "_IF_ we dock." She could hear the tramping of boots on the wood panneling, and felt the back of Jack's hand nudge her shoulder. She glanced at it. He held out a bottle of rum to her. She gratefully accepted it, taking a long swig of the drink. She turned her body around, slumping to the floor and letting her back rest against the ship's edge.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

Marina looked at the captain again. "What now?"

Jack continued to gaze out over the sea, hands on his hips as he took a deep breath. Marina looked at his face. He looked so brave, so adventurous, so handsome. She _loved_ that look.

"The sea," Jack replied, "How long can we go on this ocean in this tiny boat and now lose our sanity?"

"Whatever sanity we may have left," Marina muttered. Jack looked down at her. He frowned.

"You aren't upset that I grabbed your chest, are ye?"

"A sane woman might be," Marina laughed. She looked up at him again. "But ye were tryin' to help me, and for that I am grateful. Ye saved me back there, Jack."

"We all have to move on, some day," Jack said, lending her a hand, "It's best to let things that have gone, go. Otherwise, if yer too attached, ye might just go along with them." Marina smiled, took his hand, and was lifted to her feet. She handed him the rest of the rum.

"Thank ye, Captain," Marina said.

"Call me Jack," the man-pirate said.

They both stared at one another for a while, before Marina lowered her gaze. He watched as she strode, slowly, past him, back to her cabin. She gazed at him one last time. "Good night, Jack," she said, before going inside.

Jack gazed back at her, a small 'Captain Jack' smile tugging at his lips. He gave a sigh-like laugh, and looked back out over the ocean, lost in his own thoughts.

-

_**Thanks for reviewing! Now, please review this chapter! Next one comes out when I get more ideas. I need some. The Phantom was pretty easy to figure out, right? Please review and send in Ideas. I need them, desperately. I don't want the plot bunnies to attack me again!**_


	4. Begging To Stay

_**Honestly, people, you're very lucky I have nothing better to do, otherwise I'd probably stick to my promise of 5 reviews. Well, since I'm so unloved, I'll just update for the heck of it. So be glad that I have nothing better to do and that I'm so generous. If you don't keep reviewing, I'm shutting down this series! GRR! Is it, maybe, perhaps, that no one reads these notes? Well, that's not very nice! I want answers, people! How many of you read the notes? Answer in a review or something!**_

_**So, I'll answer the reviews I DID get and then you can ignore me until we get to the end note, okay?**_

-

**Call of the Sea**

**Chapter 4: Begging to Stay**

_**(PS: Guess who's doing the begging?)**_

-

The ship lurched in the sea, hit by a sudden wave. The crew went staggering forward, trying to catch their balance and then continued on with their duties. Gibbs put up a hand, trying to brace himself against the railing, fighting against the wind. He staggered towards the stairs, climbed with his head down, and staggered to Jack, who had one hand steering while the other was placed securely on his head, keeping his hat in place. Gibbs stood directly behind Jack.

"Cap'n, do ye really think it best to try to brave the storm? Shouldn't we try to head more inland?" Gibbs hollered over the storm, but Jack didn't answer. He kept looking straight ahead, out into the darkness; out into the storm. "Captain!" Gibbs tried hollering in Jack's ear, but it still didn't get his attention. Sighing in frustration, Gibbs fought back down the ship, going to help the crew.

Meanwhile, Jack's thoughts were in turmoil. He couldn't even fit them together into sentances. They were just pieces. Pieces of his thoughts, adrift in his mind, as though adrift at sea.

_'Kraken . . . inland . . . storm . . . Marina . . . leave . . . no . . . don't leave . . . stay . . .'_ Oh the poor Captain Sparrow was drowning in his thoughts! How troubled he was! He couldn't sort out his thoughts and feelings right. He couldn't pull himself together.

Still, he pressed on. He was not sure of where he was going, but he knew he had to head _somewhere_. _Anywhere_. Any longer at sea and his crew would lose their mind and might start a rebellion. He didn't want another mutiny. Could he trust his own crew?

-

The ship lurched to the side. Marina grabbed ahold of the desk she was sitting at and held tight, clenching her eyes shut. The sudden movements of the ship made her jewelery jingle cheerfully in her ear. She straightened, waited, anticipating another wave, but this one was smaller, and she didn't go as far as clutching the desk again. She could plan in peace.

She glanced down at the map laid out on her desk. She'd found it in the top drawer and thought it a curious souvenir. The map was relatively new. She expected as much; this ship was possibly a former merchant ship. Merchants had to be updated every so often, right?

She used a compass to plot a course over the sea, to the nearest shore. But once there . . . what?

Would she leave this ship? Leave Jack, Gibbs, and Will, as well as the rest of the crew who adored her, and just settle down in a sleepy town? She glanced at her right arm, pushing up her sleeve and revealing the 'P' burnt into the skin on the back of her wrist. She winced at the memory.

_The East India Trading company captured her father and branded him the same way. Their eyes turned to her, only 11 at the time. She looked back at them with large fightened eyes. The poker they'd used on her father was flashed in her general direction._

_"And the girl?" one lieutenant asked._

_"Brand her and them put her on the market," a commander ordered, "She may not fetch a high price, but at least she'll be put to work as a slave. Pirate scum deserve no better."_

_Her father thrashed against his bonds, lashing out at the officers. "Filth! Let her go!" he ordered, gritting his teeth. "What right have you to sell her? She is my daughter!" he thundered. One of the high-ranking officers caught him with a right hook._

_"Father!" she cried out, trying to rush to him, but a couple of officers held her tight._

_"Pirate dog!" the lieutenant exclaimed, "Don't try to think you can get away with your trecherous acts against the crown and the royal navy! You cannot save yourself, and you cannot save your daughter! You are to be hanged first thing tomorrow morning!" With a wave of his hand, the officers restraining her father dragged him away._

_"No, Father!" little Marina cried out. The lieutenant turned slowly, glancing at her. He walked up to her, ripping the clothes off her back until she stood naked before him. He took her chin in his hand, staring straight into her eyes._

_"You are only so young, not even a grown woman." He let her go and paced back to his desk. "It's a shame you should be branded as pirate. But since your father is David Blackheart, you must be a pirate. Pirate blood flows through your veins." He picked up the poker, sticking it into the fire. "Your father seems to have legal custody of you. Your mother couldn't win in court to a _pirate_? How sad. If only she had . . ."_

_He glanced at her. "You'd have been better off. You would be a noble woman. You could marry in the Church of God and you wouldn't be in such trouble. You could be like any other woman in Port Royal; taking care of her children and the house, not having to worry about stupid pirates."_

_Marina thrashed, offended. Angry tears came to her eyes._

_The lieutenant took the poker from the fire, brandishing it at her. He nodded and the officer on her right held out her arm by force. Marina struggled. "Sad how you should be cursed to the fate of a pirate . . . of a slave . . ." The lietenant smirked. "But that was your choice." He stuck the poker on her arm. Marina screamed in pain._

_White pain took over. She thrashed against the branding iron. It was ripping into her flesh! It was bringing her searing pain! Oh, the cursed pain! What she would give for sweet release!_

_When the lieutenant pulled away the iron, the wound was bleeding, but the blood was bubbling and evaporating. Red smoke rose from it. Marina slumped to the floor, crying and clutching her arm. The lieutenant threw her torn clothes at her, turned his back, and commanded that they dress her and send her away._

_The last thing she could remember was being carried by one of the officers, staring at the lieutenant's retreating back. She blacked out then and there._

_When she came to, she could hear voices. She recognized the angry voice of her mother. Squinting open one eye, she glanced around the room. Her right wrist and hand were numb._

_"What gave you the authority to presume that my child was a pirate!" her mother screeched, furiously._

_"Her father has legal custody of her, and as such, she is branded as a pirate. She will be sold on the slave market first thing after her father's hanging." She recognized the voice of the lieutenant. She growled, angrily._

_"I demand the rights to her! She is my child!"_

_" . . . Fine. But you must do it now, before the slave traders make their bids. I can cross her name off the list once you do. Follow me." She heard footsteps, and realised the lieutenant and her mother, as well as a few other people, had left. She blacked out once more._

_The next morning, she cried. The pain had come back to her wrist, but that was not what she was crying about. Her father—the man she loved more than herself, the man she adored—was to die this morning. She was given to her mother, and they were invited to witness the hanging of David Blackheart. Of course, her mother was still in love with him, but could not undo his sentance without getting herself caught in it, as well. If she chose to fight for him, she would then be ranked down from noble to pirate and would serve the same fate, and Marina would be left all alone._

_No one in Port Royal fought for a pirate without being sent to the gallows, as well._

_So, instead, they stayed indoors. They refused to see him off on his journey to Davey Jones' locker._

_Meredith looked at her daughter across the table, depressedly staring at her soup. She felt sympathy for her. She, herself, was very much in love with Marina's father. "Marina," she said. Marina looked up at her, eyes full of tears. "Let's take a walk, shall we?"_

_So they walked through town, staying towards the upper end of Port Royal._

_Just then, a troop of British soldiers stomped by, guns at the ready. They rushed by in a hurry._

_"What do you suppose happened, Mother?" Marina asked, tugging at the collar of her dress._

_A British soldier was shouting to the others. "Search everywhere! He can't have gone far! We'll drag his bum back to the gallows!"_

_Meredith held her breath. "It can't be . . ."_

_Suddenly, the soldiers began shooting at something in the air. Something swooped down and snatched Marina. Meredith turned rapidly to watch. "Marina!" Her breath caught in her throat. "David . . ."_

_David Blackheart had escaped from the gallows! He'd swung by on a rope fastened to the top of a building and swung down, snatching his daughter up with him. He laughed, triumphantly, as they landed on the top of another building._

_"Father!" Marina hugged him around the neck, and David hugged back._

_"He's got a hostage! Don't shoot!" one of the soldiers cried._

_"Idiot, that's his daughter! She's branded as a pirate! Who cares if she's a child! Shoot her!" the lead soldier commanded._

_David smiled at her. "Climb on my back and hold on." Marina smiled and did so. David turned to Meredith. "I promise to raise her well! You shan't be disappointed! She's in good hands!" He then blew a kiss to her._

_Marina's father carried her off just as the soldiers shot. Meredith fell to her knees, watching helplessly. However, she knew they would escape and a smile tugged at the lower corner of her mouth. _'Yes, David, I know you'll take good care of her . . .'

_The alarm was spread throughout Port Royal: David Blackheart had escaped along with his daughter. But by that time, it was too late. They'd made it to the White Raven docked by the pier, where no one noticed. Marina and her father had escaped, and they set sail for the horizon._

Marina sighed, standing up and walking to her bed. After a good couple years of pirating, her father had died. He had been a good captain and entrusted the White Raven to her. The only thing she had to do was pick up a new crew. But now . . .

The ship lurched again, sending her sailing to the other side of the room, where her back hit the door. "Not again!" she groaned, admiting that she would not have a night's rest so long as the storm lasted.

-

His eyebrows knotted together and he put his hand to where his heart should have been. It ached and throbbed in pain. He clenched his eyes shut against the pain. They were causing him this pain. He opened his eyes, breathing fiercely.

He stood and went to his organ, rusty with time and the water that always seeped through the ship's boards. A few barnacles made their home along the pipes. He sat down and began to play a haunting melody that echoed throughout the vast expanse of sea. Each note was filled with his pain. His crew knew he was suffering; and if the captain suffers, everyone suffers with him, because of him.

He glared at his organ, fiercely, but his mind lingered on his pain; he didn't see the organ. He saw _him_, the man causing him such pain. No, _he_ didn't hold his heart, but _he_ was the reason he lost it.

_"Damn you, Jack Sparrow . . . for all the pain you've caused me, I will settle our debt. Your soul _will_ be mine . . ."_

-

Marina opened the door into the cool night air. The storm had ended only a few minutes before. She smiled as she saw the lights of the city of Tortuga; they were close, now.

It wasn't long before Jack docked the ship and the crew unloaded, ready for a well-deserved break. They'd rented one of the more decent tavern/inns in the city. After a few rounds, Marina headed off to her room. She counted the doors on her way down, making sure hers was the fifth on the left. She glanced down the hall one last time before she went in; Jack's room was the eighth door on the right.

She laid down on the bed, shutting her eyes and drifted off. It only seemed like a couple of minutes before someone knocked on her door; well, more like tapped. She scrunched her eyes up, turning on the bed, but the tapping persisted. The taps turned to knocks, until she finally got up and stalked to the door. She opened in, into Jack's distracted face, turned to look down the hall. He looked back to look at the door he was knocking on and jumped in surprise. He gave a nervous smile.

"Oh . . . hello."

"Hello, Jack . . . um, is something wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, no," Jack shook his head, "I just, er, wanted to have a friendly chat." He grinned.

Marina nodded, following him to his own room, to where he'd gestured.

Jack looked distracted once more. He was leaning his hand on a chair, staring at the table in front of him. "I've been thinking of things . . . Miss Blackheart. I'd asked ye once before, and I'm asking ye again. What do ye plan to do now? We've reached Tortuga . . ."

Marina was silent, contemplating her answer. "I'm . . . not sure. I was thinking about just . . . quiting piracy . . . I have no crew and no ship . . . I could just settle down here, or in another little town. Just live a peaceful life . . ." She trailed off, pressing her knuckles to her lips, staring at the floor. "But where would the fun be in that? Then again . . . what else _can_ I do?"

"Ye can stay with us," Jack blurted out, making Marina look up at him. "It's not so bad having a woman on board the ship." Jack was no longer staring at her or the floor, but was preoccupied with his rings. Marina wasn't sure if he was even addressing her anymore. "The crew adores ye . . . and I meself admire yer spirit. Ye've nowhere else t'go . . . ye can stay with us. Ye won't have to quit pirating, we have adventures _anywhere_ we go! There's _never_ a dull moment!" He glanced at her, out of the corner of his eyes, and gave a famous 'Captain Jack' grin.

Marina gave out a sighlike laugh. She shook her head, staring at him. "But Captain Jack . . . I'd only be in the way . . ." She tried to convince him. Once again, she felt guilty; Jack had suddenly took on a somber attitude. He was sad; he didn't want her to leave.

"Ye must . . . really not like being with us, then . . . if yer so determined to go . . ."

"No, Jack, never! I'm just confused about things is all. Ye've done enough to see me on me way . . . There's some things I want to get done, and ye have different things to see to . . ." No matter how hard she tried, she knew it was useless. Jack didn't want her to leave, but he wasn't forcing her to stay. Wasn't his sadness his respect for her own choice and her own desicions?

He wasn't exactly complaining . . . but Marina felt sorry for him . . . He was basically alone. So he had Will and Gibbs and his crew to keep him company? So what! He didn't have anyone who understood him—who really _understood_ him.

Jack walked over and took her hand, stroking the other side of it with his thumb. "Please Marina . . ." She could see the hurt in his eyes. "I'm asking ye to stay. Ye don't have to, but I am asking ye."

"You really are all alone, aren't you, Jack?" Marina whispered, tears falling from her eyes in pity for Jack. She looked his in the eyes, but he wasn't looking at her. He still stared at her little hand in his. She made the move; enveloping him in an embrace. "Then for your sake, Jack," she whispered in his ear, "I'll stay. I'll be your friend."

Jack returned the hug, a tear dripping down his eye, but she smiled, a true, happy smile. "Thank ye, Marina," he muttered.

"The answers I seek . . ." she said, pulling away and looking at him. He smiled and took both hands in his.

"We'll find them together." He pulled her to him and embraced her again.

-

The night rolled on, but the crew was happy, for they knew something wonderful had happened. They drank, sang, and made merry all throughout the night, awaiting the next morning when Jack would announce the news unknown to them. (PS. Will's already asleep.)

-

_**Yay! Another new chapter, and more JackMarina fluffy-goodness! Well? Will you review? And Davey got himself an appearance, too!**_

_**So, where's the next destination? What things does Marina need answered? And why is Marina the only one able to hear the beautiful music? What am I talking about? Well, review and you can find out!!**_

_**I WANT **__**FIVE**__** REVIEWS PLEASE!!!**_

_**Jack: That's right! Review and ye can get more o'me!**_

_**Marina: Yer so full of yerself. (rolls eyes)**_


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